Thirteen is lucky. Or unlucky, depending on which hype you believe.
I see 2013 shaping up to be a year just like any other with lots of highs, lows and plenty of wacky in between.
My top predictions ....
George Zimmerman will lose his "Stand Your Ground" hearing scheduled for April and move on to a full-blown trial in June. The national talking heads will again descend on Sanford and be on the prowl for a non-chain restaurant in between their bouts of breathless speculation. Shhh. The Willow Tree Cafe is our secret ...
Lawmakers will finally pass a ban on texting and driving. Florida may relish its status as the craziest state in the land (thank you, DailyBeast.com), but it certainly shouldn't covet the title of "dumbest." That would be in order if the state allows this dangerous habit to remain lawful. Public sentiment strongly favors a ban, and it's a no-brainer bi-partisan win for Tallahassee. The question is how much teeth our politicians will put into the law ...
This will be the year Casey Anthony gets less press than the mayor of Orlando ...
Everyone will be asking, "Will he or won't he?" Run for governor, that is. Buddy Dyer is a real (moderate) Democrat who has earned a run for the state's highest office. But I say he passes on a rematch against newly minted Democrat Charlie Crist, who beat him in the attorney general contest in 2002 ...
The new veterans' hospital under construction in Lake Nona will finally open ... in 2014 ...
The Fantasyland revamp earns Disney some attaboys after a dry spell between new attractions. The playground queue at Dumbo is theme park brilliance. But the buzz won't overtake Potter-mania at Universal Orlando, now in its third year ...
Florida's contest to see who can bag the most pythons will get plenty of attention. But novices looking for glory and the $1,000 prize for the longest snake won't stand a chance in the Everglades against the invasive reptiles...
Amid calls for gun control, NRA lobbyist Marion Hammer attempts to label firearms as tools of environmental stewardship since the state recommends pythons be shot in the head (or decapitated with a machete) ...
Gangnam Style may be so 2012, but Orange County commissioners will still be dancing around questions about their texts during the sick-time debate ...
Finally, a use for David Siegel's gargantuan palace. The Seminole County School Board will need a space that big for its rezoning meetings ....
Dwight Howard aims to fix his free throw and ... misses. Jacque Vaughn aims to fix his limping starting line-up and ... scores. But Church Street has to wait another year for playoff crowds ...
Deltona gets a new business that is not a dollar store ...... Winter Springs Town Center gets a new restaurant that isn't fast-food ... And Oviedo finally gets a Panera ...
Winter Garden continues its era as best little downtown known for a farmer's market with locally-grown fare ... Winter Park wises up and plants vegetables in Central Park ... Just kidding, then there wouldn't be enough room for the pampered dogs to romp in their sweaters.
Development starts rolling around SunRail stops. The proposed All Aboard Florida train picks up steam, but not enough to chug-chug all the way from here to Miami. Maglev goes nowhere.
Alabama over Notre Dame by 7 ... And the SEC dominates again next season. Jadeveon Clowney, Jeff Driskel and Johnny Manziel ... need I say more?
bkassab@tribune.com or 407-420-5448.
